E 选择素基因多态性与新疆哈萨克族患者脑梗死的关系

目的:探讨E一选择素(E-selectin)基因多态性与新疆哈萨克族患者脑梗死(cebreral infarction,CI)的关系。方法:采用聚合酶链反应一限制性片段长度多态性(polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism,PCR-RFLP)和DNA序列测定法检测103例CI及110例对照组E-selectin基因第4外显子A561C(S128R)、第10外显子C1839T(L554F)多态性。结果:E-se-lectin基因S128R基因型频率和等位基因频率在CI组和对照组比较差异有显著性(P<0.05),基因型频率的相对风险分析发现,SR基因型携带者患CI的风险是SS基因型的2.355倍(OR=2.355,95%CI:1.209～4.588);E-selectin L554F基因型在两组中的分布差异有显著性(X2=5.463,P<0.05),基因型频率的相对风险分析,LF基因型患CI的风险是LL基因型的2.315倍(OR=2.315,95%CI:1.132～4.737)。结论:E-selectin S128R和L554F多态性与脑梗死易感性有关;R等位基因和F等位基因可能是新疆哈萨克族CI发病的遗传易感基因。     

Readmission rates of patients discharged against medical advice: a matched cohort study

Objective

We compared the readmission rates and the pattern of readmission among patients discharged against medical advice (AMA) to control patients discharged with approval over a one-year follow-up period.

Methods

A retrospective matched-cohort study of 656 patients(328 were discharged AMA) who were followed for one year after their initial hospitalization at an urban university-affiliated teaching hospital in Vancouver, Canada that serves a population with high prevalence of addiction and psychiatric disorders. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to examine the independent association of discharge AMA on 14-day related diagnosis hospital readmission. We fit a multivariate conditional negative binomial regression model to examine the readmission frequency ratio between the AMA and non-AMA group.

Principal Findings

AMA patients were more likely to be homeless (32.3% vs. 11%) and have co-morbid conditions such as psychiatric illnesses, injection drug use, HIV, hepatitis C and previous gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients discharged AMA were more likely to be readmitted: 25.6% vs. 3.4%, p<0.001 by day 14. The AMA group were more likely to be readmitted within 14 days with a related diagnosis than the non-AMA group (Adjusted Odds Ratio 12.0; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 3.7–38.9). Patients who left AMA were more likely to be readmitted multiple times at one year compared to the non-AMA group (adjusted frequency ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3–2.0). There was also higher all-cause in-hospital mortality during the 12-month follow-up in the AMA group compared to non-AMA group (6.7% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Patients discharged AMA were more likely to be homeless and have multiple co-morbid conditions. At one year follow-up, the AMA group had higher readmission rates, were predisposed to multiple readmissions and had a higher in-hospital mortality. Interventions to reduce discharges AMA in high-risk groups need to be developed and tested.     

The efflux pump inhibitor tetrandrine exhibits synergism with fluconazole or voriconazole against Candida parapsilosis

Molecular Biology Reports - In the last two decades, with the wide use of azoles, antifungal resistance among Candida parapsilosis has considered a matter of concern worldwide. The aim of this...     

Quantification of proteomic and metabolic burdens predicts growth retardation and overflow metabolism in recombinant Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli has been the host organism most frequently investigated for efficient recombinant protein production. However, the production of a foreign protein in recombinant E. coli often leads to growth deterioration and elevated secretion of acetic acid. Such observed phenomena have been widely linked with cell stress responses and metabolic burdens originated particularly from the increased energy demand. In this study, flux balance analysis and dynamic flux balance analysis were applied to investigate the observed growth physiology of recombinant E. coli, incorporating the proteome allocation theory and an adjustable maintenance energy level (ATPM) to capture the proteomic and energetic burdens introduced by recombinant protein synthesis. Model predictions of biomass growth, substrate consumption, acetate excretion, and protein production with two different strains were in good agreement with the experimental data, indicating that the constraint on the available proteomic resource and the change in ATPM might be important contributors governing the growth physiology of recombinant strains. The modeling framework developed in this work, currently with several limitations to overcome, offers a starting point for the development of a practical, model-based tool to guide metabolic engineering decisions for boosting recombinant protein production.     

花椰菜与黑芥种间体细胞杂种的获得和鉴定

利用非对称体细胞杂交技术,获得芸薹属花椰菜（Brassica oleracea var．botrytis）与黑芥（B．nigra）的种间杂种,实现了野生种质抗病基因向甘蓝类蔬菜作物的渗透。以具有良好再生能力的花椰菜下胚轴原生质体作为融合受体,具有抗黑腐、黑胫和根肿病优良性状的黑芥叶肉原生质体作为融合供体,用不同强度的UV射线处理后,利用PEG方法诱导供、受体原生质体融合。培养后获得170棵再生植株。选取来自40个不同愈伤组织的40棵单株进行形态学观察及RAPD和SRAP分子标记检测,结果表明其中30棵为体细胞杂种。染色体计数显示,约23％杂种植株的染色体数目小于供、受体染色体数之和。用流式细胞仪测定DNA含量显示,杂种植株DNA含量是受体的2—4倍,20％杂种植株DNA含量小于供、受体之和。     

Resveratrol-Induced Vascular Progenitor Differentiation towards Endothelial Lineage via MiR-21/Akt/β-Catenin Is Protective in Vessel Graft Models

Background and Purpose

Vessel graft failure is typically associated with arteriosclerosis, in which endothelial dysfunction/damage is a key event. Resveratrol has been shown to possess cardioprotective capacity and to reduce atherosclerosis. We aimed to study the influence of resveratrol on the behavior of resident stem cells that may contribute to graft arteriosclerosis.

Experimental Approach

Vascular resident progenitor cells and embryonic stem cells were treated with resveratrol under differentiating conditions and endothelial markers expression was evaluated. Expression of miR-21 and β-catenin was also tested and exogenously modified. Effects of resveratrol treatment in an ex vivo re-endothelialization model and on mice undergone vascular graft were evaluated.

Key Results

Resveratrol induced expression of endothelial markers such as CD31, VE-cadherin and eNOS in both progenitor and stem cells. We demonstrated that resveratrol significantly reduced miR-21 expression, which in turn reduced Akt phosphorylation. This signal cascade diminished the amount of nuclear β-catenin, inducing endothelial marker expression and increasing tube-like formation by progenitor cells. Both the inhibition of miR-21 and the knockdown of β-catenin were able to recapitulate the effect of resveratrol application. Ex vivo, progenitor cells treated with resveratrol produced better endothelialization of the decellularized vessel. Finally, in a mouse model of vessel graft, a resveratrol-enhanced diet was able to reduce lesion formation.

Conclusions and Implications

We provide the first evidence that oral administration of resveratrol can reduce neointimal formation in a model of vascular graft and elucidated the underpinning miR-21/Akt/β-catenin dependent mechanism. These findings may support the beneficial effect of resveratrol supplementation for graft failure prevention.